How-to

Self-hosting a Perplexity Computer alternative

The point of an open alternative is that the machine is yours. Here is what that actually takes, project by project — and where the hard parts really are.

What "self-host" buys you

Perplexity Computer runs entirely in Perplexity's cloud. Four things change when you move to a self-hosted agent: your data and credentials stay on hardware you control; you choose the models (including local ones); you can audit and modify the code; and there is no per-seat subscription floor. The cost is operational: you own uptime, upgrades and isolation.

1. Pick the project

Personal agent on your own machine → OpenClaw (MIT). A local Gateway control plane; state and credentials stay on your hardware.
Governed org-scale fleets → Kortix (Suna). Agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo; per-session sandbox; change-request review. Elastic 2.0 (source-available).
Multi-agent workstation → Eigent (Apache 2.0). Docker + FastAPI + PostgreSQL, 200+ MCP tools.

2. Prepare a host

Anything that can run containers works: a laptop, a VPS, or a private cloud. OpenClaw is happiest on a machine that is on when you want the assistant (a laptop is fine; a small always-on box is better for team use). Kortix and Eigent expect a server you can reach — Docker images and a database, typically.

3. Choose models

All three are model-agnostic: point them at a hosted API (with your own keys) or a local model. This is the single biggest lever on both privacy and cost — and the reason "Bring your own model" is the first thing to check in any of these projects.

4. Harden and review

Treat inbound messages as untrusted input; approve channel pairings rather than auto-accepting them (OpenClaw pairs unknown senders by default).
Keep credentials out of the model's context where the project supports it — Vellum, for example, keeps keys in a separate service the model cannot read.
Gate consequential actions. Kortix lands work only through a change request a human approves; others use in-app approval flows.

The trade-off nobody advertises. A cloud agent gives you a managed, consistent sandbox and zero maintenance. A self-hosted one gives you control and a bill you can predict — and makes you responsible for the environment. Choose the failure mode you can live with: "vendor lock-in and a $200/month floor" or "I maintain my own box."